


Twice, they met as strangers.

by AzorART



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: G-ERTI - Freeform, Gerti - Freeform, Humor, Kid!Fic, MJN, MJN office, Memories, Past, Pre-MJN, They met in the past, Young!Martin, keychain, kid!Martin, they meet again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-30 01:15:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10865997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzorART/pseuds/AzorART
Summary: Captain Martin Crieff is new at MJN air. After a week, the new recruit reminds Douglas of someone,a person he met some 28 years ago. Their fates cross one more time





	Twice, they met as strangers.

**Author's Note:**

> If you don't know Cabin Pressure, I'm inviting you to listen to this radio sit com written by the hilarious John Finnemore.  
> It is my first fiction, and the first time I write a full story in English. It isn't my mother tongue, so please be kind and don't hesitate to tell me if I made any mistakes.  
> Thank you! reviews and comments are very welcome.

_Rochester International Airport, 1982_  
_Tuesday, 7:48 pm_

 

Douglas just got back from a long flight. He sighed, feeling exhausted of his weary day. Sadly, his new Captain wasn't a big fan of word games and these last 9 flying hours have been frankly boring.  
He will have to find a way to make their future flights more entertaining or he would pass out of boredom.

He saw his flight crew and the Captain walking away, all going to be back home soon. Probably they had nice people home waiting for them, but Douglas was a bachelor and wasn't eager to leave. He could use some rest though. It was getting late.

 

First officer Douglas Richardson was 28 years old, working for Air England, proud and confident in his skills as a pilot. Smugly, he often thought of himself as a sky-god, even if he knew he shouldn't feel overconfident. The pilot looked around and patted the had under his arm, thoughtless and tired.

In the airport, they were still a few people patienting in the seats or wandering around, often between the way of the restroom and the sodas machines. He pitied them for a moment, those whose flights were delayed.

Lost in his own thoughts, Douglas approached a large window ; from here he could see some of Air England's aeroplanes parked outside.

 

Staring at the planes, he didn't notice immediately the little boy next to him. When he finally did, Douglas bowed his head to look at the child pressed against the glass window.  
He had bright, blazing red curls and an extreme cheeriness emanating from him.

He couldn't be more than 6 years old, and he was looking the planes outside like they were the most exciting thing ever.

Then he remarked the presence of Douglas. His surprised look caught the three golden stripes at the pilot's sleeve, and the hat Douglas was carrying. Breathless, the little boy showed a huge smile.

"Hey kid, can't wait to take off ?" Asked Douglas.

"Actually, I just got back from that plane !" He pointed his finger at one of the aircrafts outside and stuck his face back against the glass.

"Ah, then why are you still here ? Where are your parents ?" Questioned Douglas, wondering why, after all, he even cares.

"There, my dad and my mum" He showed Douglas a red-haired man reading a newspaper next to a woman speaking on the phone, looking annoyed."And my brother and my sister."  
The boy pointed at a girl around twelve years old and a boy, seeming slightly older.

They were glancing repeatedly at their parents, impatient to leave. Comparing to them, this little guy was having the time of his life.

"Alright." He sighed.

"You're the co-pilot ! I know it because of your uniform ! Look, I'm an aeroplane !" The red-haired boy started running in circles, arms out like mimicking a plane. He ran around Douglas as the man was walking away from the window, and finally sprinted towards the aircrafts models.

The co-pilot was now near the exit. On his way, a group of cheery stewardess caught his attention and he did not think about the boy anymore.

 

 

 

_tuesday, 8:03 pm_

 

He forgot his keys at the airport. Of course, he hadn't checked if he had them before standing stupidly in front of his car, unable to unlock it. He headed back to the building. Was this day never going to end?

 

The keys were back into his pocket and Douglas was pleased of it. If things could stay where they belong to be, he would be grateful to the universe for that.

They weren't any night flights today and now the place was almost deserted. Save a few footsteps from some employees leaving, the place was quiet.

Douglas appreciated the big hall without having it crowded by the travelers hurrying in every direction. His eyes stopped on a seat, there was something on it. A forgotten bag or...

The man approached slowly, coming closer to it. Well, it was a backpack... and the boy from before! He recognized his hair and could hear him sobbing. Douglas doesn't consider himself as a sentimental person, but who could leave alone a crying lost 6 years old at night?

"Hey kid" Started Douglas, crouching in front of the child to be at his eye level. "What's the problem? Are you lost?"

The red-haired child slowly raised his little head. His eyes were red from crying, and their blue-green colour contrasted with his freckles. Now that douglas was having a proper look at him, he vas definitely around 6 years old.

"What's your name?" Douglas demanded with a comforting smile.

"Martin." He said, wiped his tears and the sight of the co-pilot cheered him up a bit.

"What are you doing still being here? Lost?" Douglas repeated patiently.

Martin explained him that he couldn't find his parents or his siblings in the airport, a moment after Douglas left. The pilot asked him if he had noticed anything strange or inhabitual.

His answer had been that they hadn't had a very pleasant flight and looked stressed. His mother was making a flustered phone call and Martin decided that it will be wiser to move away for a moment.  
He went to play 'I'm an aeroplane' and met Douglas. When he got back, he was alone.

Fortunately, Martin had phone numbers and informations in his backpack. But no cell phone. The man remarked that his stuff was worned and old looking.

Douglas has been able to call his parents back, they explained briefly that they had an overwhelming day, got distracted and left without their boy. They were greatful that he was safe and were going right back. Douglas thought it wasn't excusable though.

"They are coming to pick you up, I'm waiting with you until they are here" Douglas sat next to Martin, who was watching the first officer's hat intensely.

"You seem fond of planes," The man began. "earlier, you called me a co-pilot. You're fond of planes or what?"

"Dad bought me books about aviation, and an old Aircraft Flight Manual. I'm learning it since the day mum told me I could never be an aeroplane. So I decided later I will be a captain !"  
If human eyes could sparkle, Martin's certainly would do so.

Douglas put his hat on the head of the boy. He deserved it just because of the AFM thing. He was apparently determined to fulfill his dreams, that was a good thing.

It was the first time Douglas met someone excited about manuals. He was learning it ! Who learned manuals?

He let the child play with it for a moment, Martin was wearing it proudly, even if the hat was too big for his head (the right term would have been 'too heavy') and it was continually sliding off his head.  
He took it back. "Soon enough you'll get your own" Said he with a smile

A tired first officer and a quiet Martin were sitting patiently in a deserted building. Douglas showed something to the child, that excited him so much.  
It was a little keychain, he asked Martin if he knew the name of it; it was a model aeroplane of a Hawker Siddeley.

Shortly before the boy's parents arrived, Douglas decided at last, to gave the keychain to Martin. The parents left with their son. Unfortunately for them, Martin would probably keep talking about aircrafts and the fist officer he met for a long time.

His mum was already exhausted of his son's extreme cheeriness and sighed before putting him in the car while Douglas started his own car at the other side of the parking.

 

 

 

_MJN office, Fitton Airport, 2008_

 

"It's okay Martin, if they are still on G-ERTI, we'll find them" Assures Douglas.

"What if I lost them? Only my first week at MJN, and I already lost my keys !" Martin looks more and more panicked every second, making the elder man wondering how he would react in case of an emergency.

Emergencies in aeroplanes are particularly stressful and informative about one's pilot skills.  
A great thing; if there were a problem, Douglas wouldn't have to bother using any flight manual, because, as a matter of fact, Martin had learned the whole thing.  
Douglas realises once again that he is such a lazy pilot. Ge gets up from his seat. "I'm going search in G-ERTI" he says before leaving the building and going to the parking space where the company's single plane is.

Fitton Airport is small and the first officer quickly reaches the modest aircraft. It is a Lockheed McDonnell 3-12, patched up with new spare parts added every month. Good old G-ERTI.

In the cockpit, he finds Martin's keys on the floor, picks them and gets out of the ratty jet. He doesn't even look at them, just puts them in his pocket. He doesn't pay attention to it really.

As he heads back towards the office and the wind blows softly against his face, he makes a mental note: ask Martin about the state of his pockets. He doesn't seem to be a forgetful person, nor lazy.

Halfway, he sees a ginger little man coming toward him in the distance. Douglas knows it can only be one person.

He slows down, as a sudden feeling of melancholy comes over him. It appears when the man grabs the keys, in his pocket. Weird.

Fascinated, he takes them out of his pocket and takes his time to examine carefully the origin of Martin's distress.

It is composed of two keys and a keychain. Douglas presumes that one is for the car, or whatever Martin drives and the second one is the house key.

The keychain looks oddly familiar. It is a grey little aeroplane model, a Hawker Siddeley.

It is just because Douglas used to own the same one. He gave it to a little kid lost in the airport he used to work for, almost 30 years ago.

As Douglas remembers, he realises that the little boy it could be his Captain. It could be him.

The same grey-blue-green eyes, freckles and that love for aviation.

At that time, if he knew he would later be this little boy's first officer... he would have been more impressed by that 3.5 feet tall little read-haired gangster running about pretending to be an aeroplane. Damn.

Captain Martin Crieff is at his level now, and Douglas looks both amazed and baffled. The red-headed has the impression Douglas is looking not at, but through him.

"You found my keys!" He exclaims and grabs them, expecting his friend to let him takes them.

During five awkward seconds, the two men are sort of holding hands, the elder man still looking into a sort of trance, dreamy.

Confused, Martin is giving him a strange look but Douglas finally let the item go.

"Are you okay?"The younger man asks, slightly frightened.  
The first officer gives him a smirk and goes away, leaving a very disconcerted Martin.


End file.
